For the Sake of Bulma
by Milui Elenath
Summary: Vegeta had two great desires; his goal to become the Legendary Super Saiyan, and a more recent earthly notion. One remained frustratingly unobtainable while the other taunted him with hope of success if he ever dared try– which he had vowed never to do! However his determination is tested when death strikes. Dragons must be called upon, decisions made but the true test is yet to be
1. Chapter 1 - Feelings

_Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who has ever favourited, read, reviewed or just generally enjoyed any of my other DBZ stories - this is the next one that I promised long, long ago._

It is a stand alone, canon based fiction. Bulma and Vegeta pairing, Yamcha supporting character (and no Yamcha bashing. . . from the author - I'm not responsible for Vegeta's actions) Characters from DBZ are not mine - standard fanfiction disclaimer applies - but plot and concepts remain my intellectual property. I hope you enjoy the story!

 _For the sake of Bulma – by Milui Elenath_

 **Chapter One - Feelings**

Vegeta watched as the door to the gravitron slid open and stepped out into the late evening air. He expected to feel relief from the stifling humidity that had overwhelmed the spherical interior but was dissatisfied to find the temperature outside was equally oppressive.

The air was utterly devoid of wind, the surroundings motionless save for one thing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the movement, his warrior gaze instantly flicked toward it for assessment. It was the earth woman. She was standing upon the balcony of the large yellow dome, gazing distantly at the horizon as she fanned herself with what appeared to be a magazine.

Vegeta hardly acknowledged her action, suddenly aware of how the light shone from the room behind her, making her nightgown semi translucent, the shadows of her form beneath tantalisingly apparent. He swallowed hard.

He should look away. He should prevent his eyes from travelling over her body. He was a warrior, he told himself, disciplined, autonomous, such temptations were beyond him, but his gaze had not averted.

Suddenly the earth woman turned, she raised her hand, she waved and Vegeta thought foggily that perhaps she had even smiled and then she was gone, returning inside.

It took him a moment to discover that he was still staring at the empty balcony and another before he realised that her departure had broken the spell of whatever it was that had left him momentarily paralysed. Slowly he turned his head and found that his own hand appeared to be raised. He stared at the traitorous appendage with astonishment and then snapped it to his side. All right, so he had waved to the earth woman, so what? It was a meaningless gesture, an inconsequential earth custom, a token greeting, nothing significant – he halted his thoughts, if that were so why was he rambling to himself about it and why had he returned his gaze to the empty balcony?

He growled and took a determined step towards the house. He was being absurd, making too much of his own reaction, it was nothing more than a harmless indulgence at the end of a . . . pointless day of training, he concluded dispiritedly.

He didn't deserve to indulge in anything but obtaining his goal of transforming into a Super Saiyan.

As he entered the house he folded his arms across his chest as if somehow, they could suppress the emotions that tore at his essence. Frustration, anger, accusation and humiliation took their turn at tormenting him and they appeared to have recently spawned another emotion.

Weariness.

Vegeta feared this one the most. It was this emotion that he blamed for his tendency lately to lack the discipline to ignore such distractions as the woman. Thinking of her suddenly made him aware that he had reached the top of the stairs. He fixed his eyes upon the floor instructing them to avoid any observation of her door. He passed by with success but the triumph was brief as he suddenly pondered how he had known which room was hers and how long he had known it. His brow wrinkled.

No doubt he had seen her come out of it and evidently acknowledged its location and that was perfectly reasonable. He was a warrior and a warrior should always be aware of his surroundings. He gave a brief thought to what her surroundings might look like right now as a sudden image of her in her translucent garment filled his mind. He mentally shoved it away and quickened the pace to his room with a scowl deepening.

He pushed open his door and was instantly greeted by the sight of his bed. The scowl loosened and his brows now dipped at the sides. He had no intention of facing it yet, at least not without showering first but the thought of returning to it at all depressed him. It was another reminder of the weariness that plagued him and it taunted that even sleep did not come easily these days.

Nothing came easy. Nothing ever had.

He entered his ensuite and turned the tap. The cool water was a pleasant shock against his warm skin. Things would change when he became a super Saiyan, things would be easier. He held onto the promise of it, stubbornly refusing to follow through on why and how that was. He was no optimist, years of service to the evil Freeza had not fostered such foolishness but it had facilitated determination and fortitude. Hope was necessary for survival.

The coolness of the shower did not last beyond a few steps from the cubicle and as he returned to his bedroom Vegeta snapped on the ceiling fan. The Briefs had air conditioning but the cooled air reminded Vegeta too much of his many years spent breathing artificial atmosphere in space ships and pods. The fan breathed upon him as he lay on the bed but did little to alleviate the cloying air that he realised was going to add to his difficulty in falling asleep. He wondered why the woman had fled the relief of the cooled air? What had drawn her out onto the balcony in this heat? Wearing that outfit?

He punched his pillow, resisting the urge to blast it as he attempted to stop himself acknowledging that she was mere walls away likely still wearing it and that he had an overpowering urge to see her in even less. His eyebrows bounced in surprise at his own thoughts and then changed to concern. "I'm doomed."

Ever since the gravitron had blown up he had known it, he was inescapably infatuated by her. At the time of the accident he had been severely injured and unable to do much more than lift his head but he had lain amongst the rubble in her arms without objection far too long and been far too comfortable with her touch. Then he'd explained his justifications of overtraining to her as if he sought her approval in some way and when he woke to find she had been watching over him he had known the worst of it. A mere moment of weakness on his behalf would likely doom them both completely. He shook his head.

It was ironic that the two things he desired should be in such contrast. While he worked at his lifelong goal daily, it remained frustratingly unobtainable, and his other more recent desire, he refused to pursue but had more faith that he could obtain it.

He grunted and turned on the bed. It was futile lying here with these thoughts flipping between his two frustrations but it would be worse to get up. He could not expect to reach his potential drained of energy, deprived of sleep. A sense of foretelling washed over him, something had to break the cycle that he had slipped into. What that could be he did not know.

There was a rap upon his door. Vegeta sat up in amazement. Never had anyone disturbed him here.

"Vegeta?" a female voice whispered hesitantly.

Vegeta felt his heart race and his thoughts seemed to collide in confusion. It was Bulma, what was she doing at his door? At this hour? Tonight? Had his thoughts somehow beckoned her? Was he actually finally asleep and dreaming this?

"Vegeta are you asleep?" She seemed to echo his thoughts.

"If I was asleep. I would not be answering your question." He answered uncertainly.

"Why can't you just answer no, like a normal person?" said Bulma entering the room but her words lacked the irritation they implied.

Vegeta noted that she seemed anxious, even nervous and he found this puzzling, even disconcerting. Why had she come to his room? She was wearing a robe that was the same colour as her previous garment, in fact he was convinced it was the same material but in this light it gave no hint to its translucency and she clutched it slightly at her throat. He hesitated a moment before he spoke, not sure if he should ask. "What do you want woman?"

Bulma was silent for a long moment. "Look I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to say it."

Vegeta held his breath, where _was_ she going with this?

"Do you sense Freeza at all?"

"What? Freeza!" Vegeta was shocked at her outrageous question and startled by the seemingly out the blue question. If this was her idea of a joke it was not funny.

Bulma nodded with her hands clutched together.

Vegeta bit back the fury he felt as he saw that she was serious. He stretched his ki sense. "No, I don't," he kept concern from his tone, "why?"

"How about androids?" She said.

Vegeta felt himself becoming anxious but there were no power levels even remotely dangerous nearby. "No. What is this about woman?"

"You're sure?"

"Yes Bulma, I'm sure! Now are you going to tell me what this is about?"

Bulma looked up at him as he said her name and he thought perhaps that somehow she had heard in it something that had revealed that her name had a strange power over him but she only nodded.

"It's just I have this feeling."

"You, had a feeling? There's a first,' he snorted, the woman was full of feelings he'd discovered and free about describing them.

Bulma curiously ignored his provocation and failed to retort in her usual fashion.

"Yes." She said simply, her brow wrinkling in thought. "I had a similar feeling the day that you returned to earth from searching for Goku."

Whatever this was about was obviously too serious for their usual banter and Vegeta listened carefully.

"And then Freeza landed and then that guy from the future landed with the bad news of the androids and I – I have that feeling now. Maybe it sounds silly to you but I tried to ignore it and I couldn't sleep. I just feel like, like something is going to happen. Something – something life changing. I just thought . . ." she trailed and met his gaze trustingly, "that you could help, somehow." She shrugged.

Vegeta broke from her gaze roughly and went for some water on his nightstand. Those azure eyes should not look into his with such emotion. Had she totally forgotten that he was a killer, that he was unreliable and untrustworthy? He should teach her not to put such faith in him. Dismiss her comments, make her hate him and remove such naivety for her own good.

"I sense nothing." He sounded oddly reassuring.

Bulma sighed and began to smile just as a faint shuffling sound came from the hall.

Bulma's smile halted and her eyes widened. "What was that?" She whispered before uttering a loud gasp. "My bad feeling. Someone's come to kill us. It's the androids, I just know it."

"I told you I sense nothing." Vegeta said irritably, annoyed by her lack of faith in his abilities.

"What if androids don't have energy to sense? They are machines after all."

Vegeta's eyes matched hers. Could she be right?

"Do you think they could have arrived early?" she continued whispering urgently. "The timeline could have changed.

Vegeta tensed. It was entirely plausible that the timeline had now shifted due to the future kid's arrival but did it make sense for the androids to seek out himself? No.

Despite popular opinion - the woman's - he was aware that not _everything_ revolved around him. If the androids were after a fight they'd have gone after the strongest first and that, he regretted, for the moment was Kakkarot.

Any fight with Kakkarot would involve huge power spikes from the Saiyan, if not the androids and Vegeta knew no such thing had happened, he most certainly would have sensed it. Could it be the androids had come for Capsule Corp? That did make sense. Dr. Briefs had a lot of equipment that might be of interest to mechanical maniacs, then again it could just be a burglar. He pushed the woman back from the door but she lingered behind him as he peered out.

The sound was coming from the far end. A spare room, he thought.

"It can't be my parents. Their bedroom is at the end of the other hall." Bulma whispered clinging to him.

Vegeta nodded at her, yes, yes, he knew the layout of the house. He motioned her to be quiet and move back. He could see a dark shape moving at the end of the corridor beyond the stairs. He raised his hand and wondered what level of shot he should use. His power would illuminate the night before it hit its target but if he used a low level his opponent might have time to dodge, block or deflect it, if they had any kind of speed or power. On the other hand if it was a regular burglar he had no need to waste such energy. Vegeta decided a warning shot would let him know what he was up against besides if it was an enemy of significant challenge then the Briefs home and thus his temporary lodging was no place to destroy them.

The blue energy attack had increased and formed in seconds at the palm of his hand and wrought the air with its blinding light.

"Oh dear. I seem to have gone blind." The words were uttered rather scientifically, almost flatly and Vegeta had just enough time to prevent his attack leaving his hand when Bulma belatedly threw herself at him and grabbed his arm shouting.

"Vegeta! Don't shoot," she cried.

"I'm not woman, calm down. If I had wanted to I would have done so already."

"Oh my goodness, what is going on?" Bunny Briefs voice was more curious than concerned. The light overhead was suddenly switched on and Vegeta found himself momentarily stunned by the alternating bright dark bright before his eyes adjusted and he saw Mrs. Briefs at the opposite end of the hall to the first voice with her finger upon the light switch. At the other end, close to the stairs stood Dr. Briefs with a large box that he had been apparently shuffling around.

"Are you all having a party?" Mrs Briefs chirruped.

"No dear," said Dr. Briefs, rubbing his eyes. "I was just trying to get this box into the spare room. I guess I must have woken Vegeta and . . . Bulma."

There was a slight pause as Dr. Briefs finished the sentence as he and Mrs. Briefs shifted their gaze in Vegeta's direction. Vegeta suddenly became aware that Bulma was still clutching his arm and that she was standing very obviously together with him at the entrance of his bedroom. He could see Bulma's parents' conclusion forming in their eyes already.

He remained impassive, expressionless; it was always the best defence when indecisive.

If he protested he would be acknowledging that he understood their incredulous assumptions and he had a disturbing notion that his objection would not be convincing, that somehow, they would see something more in his eyes, learn something more than he intended if he tried to speak but to say nothing was to continue to allow them to believe it. He closed his eyes momentarily and wished this were not happening but they snapped open again in disbelief as Bulma confidently and obliviously announced that they had not been woken by Dr Briefs since the two of them had been still awake.

"I see," said Dr. Briefs awkwardly.

Bulma finally seemed to understand. She blushed and then lifted her eyes to Vegeta in an attempt to gauge his reaction. He watched, knowing that she had determined that he was aware of the misunderstanding as her eyes widened in astonishment. That was irksome enough but her expression promptly discarded her shock and settled on pleased.

That was it. This irritating situation needed to end.

"You do not, _see_." Vegeta asserted to Dr. Briefs deciding on a course of action. "But if you want to prevent such a thing and," he leered at Bulma then flicked his gaze at the old man, "believe me, you _should_. You'll tell your daughter to leave me alone!"

He shook Bulma from his arm and pushed her towards her father as he huffed and turned towards his room, faltering ever so slightly as he took in two unsettling reactions.

The first was Bulma's thoughtful expression and the second was Bunny's look of disappointment.

He closed the door behind him feeling uncharacteristically shaken, certain that his attempt to be sinister had backfired.

To think that Bunny was disappointed that he was not sleeping with her daughter seemed absurd. People didn't want their daughters with a man like him, hadn't he just conveyed that? And to see that Bulma was not only undeterred by his innuendo but thinking it over was too compelling for his sanity. What was he doing on this planet?

He flicked the air conditioner switch on in aggravation and sat on the bed glumly, deciding the answer was going mad.

* * *

Bulma sat on her bed heavily. "Well that was . . . interesting." She got up to pace and found that her room was too cluttered for it. She bent to pick up her clothes finding it necessary to do something while her mind played over the events of the evening.

She noted that the feeling she had earlier, this sense of expectation and dread had not left her. It would do no good to hound Vegeta about it, he had given her all the reassurance he could that no power levels were nearby and after the incident in the hallway just now, well, he was best left alone. She sighed again dramatically.

Still hadn't there been hope in all this? He'd figured out what her parents were thinking and while he'd looked uncomfortable about it he hadn't been repulsed, as she feared. And he hadn't been shocked either which meant that he thought it wasn't an entirely unnatural conclusion for them to make. That meant he considered it possible, or at least not impossible!

Bulma clutched her hands to her body and spun in glee.

Then stopped just as suddenly. Was she spinning away over a possibility that he had noticed her? What had become of Bulma Briefs, genius, beauty, millionaire? Not that she had ever counted her wealth status as being anything worthwhile in attracting men but was she losing her touch?

She'd lost Yamcha – even if she preferred to think of it as coming to a mutual understanding; he could date other women but he could no longer date her. As for Vegeta, she'd tried to convince herself that his alien nature simply hadn't grasped some of her earth cues, that and his obsession with his transformation. She sagged unable to keep the pretence of optimism. Why then did he continuously tell her to leave him alone?

She sighed loudly as she tossed clothes into the hamper. Tonight, had started so well. For the first time as Vegeta exited the gravitron he had noticed her up on the balcony and when she had waved, he had waved back! That should have counted for something and she might even have had some time to revel in the ecstatic feeling it produced if at that moment she hadn't felt an immediate sense of foreboding.

It had startled her and she thought at first perhaps she had become suddenly frightened of Vegeta's direct attention. She had dismissed this immediately as silly. She'd had plenty of personal moments with Vegeta after Namek. The feeling, this dark feeling was about the future, she'd had it before. That's when it struck her that she'd had it last when Vegeta, Freeza and the mysterious youth from the future had turned up. Suddenly she felt sure Freeza was connected to it somehow and then she had determined that maybe it was the androids instead and that in any case she should speak to Vegeta about it, that he was somehow connected to this too. All thoughts of romance had fled faced with this feeling and she had not considered them again until the look on her parents' faces had clued her in to their false conclusions.

Thanks to her father she was now left with only this terrible feeling of doom and no one to reassure her. She threw down the shoe she was holding in frustration and was surprised to see she had tidied everything else.

She sat back on the bed thoughtfully. Whatever the future, she was Bulma Briefs. She could handle it. She had survived Namek and she would survive anything the future threw at her! She shivered unexpectedly, her air conditioning was definitely set too cool.

* * *

Two purple eyes gleamed inside a round ship and the lips below them grinned in satisfaction. Tonight, he had found a way to exact his revenge! After weeks of watching, contemplating scenarios and dismissing them he had found the solution. It was so simple, so perfectly apt and so fail-proof! Nothing could stop him avenging his brothers' death, nothing! He needed only to perfect his plan to ensure maximum suffering for his victim. He wanted them to understand that nothing they could say or do would make a difference, could make a difference. They would rue the day they murdered his brother on Namek. The purple creature gave a gurgled laugh. By this time tomorrow vengeance would be his.


	2. Chapter 2 - Revenge

_For the sake of Bulma – by Milui Elenath_

 **Chapter Two - Revenge**

Vegeta forced open the heavy lids of his eyes as the alarm went off. How long had he slept? An hour? Less? Dawn had seemed so elusive for so much of the interminable hours of the night and now daylight mocked him by rushing forward when he at last found sleep.

He began his morning routine, dressing, breakfasting and avoiding the woman. He went to the gravitron and his hand hovered over the control and halted there as a prickling sensation stirred his awareness of a power-level close by.

It was no threat but it was unusual. Vegeta retracted his hand from the panel and turned in a slow circle, was it watching him? Who or what was it? Not one of the earth woman's friends he was sure. The earth woman. Bulma. He had an overpowering urge to check on her, to find her. It was ridiculous, no doubt fuelled solely by his own absurd desires. He ignored the urge concentrating instead on the power-levels movement. It was coming closer, not quite direct but certain enough that Vegeta knew its objective was himself. Had the woman's fears of the previous night been justified? Did her premonition mean something? Vegeta waited poised as the creature came close enough to view.

He frowned as he blasted the small furry gwizoo to smithereens and stared at the blackened scorch mark. What was a gwizoo doing here on earth? It was a creature deployed by Freeza's henchmen as a decoy or a distraction. The gwizoo itself was harmless, pitiful even and definitely disgusting but it gave a strong enough power-level reading to allow weaker levels to slip by. Vegeta felt the rush of adrenaline kick start several biological functions at once and jolted forward towards Capsule Corp cursing himself for his foolishness.

* * *

Bulma could not utter a sound as the creature clasped its wetted hand over her mouth and pressed its fingers with its razor like nails against her throat. The creature had been in her house and had come from behind holding her in its grasp.

"Hello," the creature whispered in her ear. "Well, that was even easier than I had hoped and without any premature death. Yours that is," he hissed, "I have no apology. It is what you get for hanging around the likes of Vegeta but I am grateful. You will make my vengeance possible."

Bulma tried to stop herself trembling, well aware of the nails resting against the flesh of her neck.

"Oh yes keep still. Excellent," he laughed. "I would not want anything happening to you until Vegeta is here to witness it. Actually, I had expected him by now. It seems my little ruse worked better than I thought. How about I let you call for help? Hmm?"

He removed his hand from her mouth but the nails remained against her neck.

Bulma restrained the urge to call out. It was clear this creature wanted Vegeta here and while he wasn't, it seemed she was safe, or at least safer.

"Look I don't know what your deal is with Vegeta but you've got it all wrong." Bulma argued with the villain holding her. "Hurting me won't get you anywhere. He just lives here with me—okay that is not how it sounds! It's too bad really because . . ." Bulma stopped herself with a mental shake, now was not the time. "Er nevermind. He just lives here because I have the gravitron. The space capsule. If you want to get back at him why don't you let me go and you can blow it up? He'd be very upset if something happened to it. It's just outside. I'll . . . I'll show you." Bulma had listened carefully and noted that the gravitron wasn't humming, she hoped Vegeta was not inside it or that some other brilliant plan of intervention would come to mind before this creature took up her idea.

"Blowing up a spaceship is hardly equal to the death of a brother." The creature spat.

"A brother? A death, oh," Bulma grimaced in concession, "er, weeellll . . ." Bulma drew the words out in an attempt at buying more time, "no, of course not but my point was more that he doesn't care what happens to _me_. I mean I'm just a foolish earth woman. He's a saiyan, a- a prince. Really maybe you should rethink your plan –"

"Shut up!" Snapped the creature.

Bulma muffled the hysterical babble but could not quite contain a terrified shriek as he ran his fingers warningly across her neck.

"You should listen to her Dwee." A gravelly tone sounded from above.

Bulma cautiously looked up and was shocked to see Vegeta, sitting in the open window frame, casually leaning against it, one foot dangling as if he had always been there.

"Although I would be quite put out if something were to happen to the gravitron," Vegeta continued.

Bulma was dismayed to see that Vegeta disregarded her existence completely, not even giving her a supportive glance and spoke directly to the creature.

"Of course," Vegeta added lazily, "if you want to terrorize the inhabitants of this planet Dwee that's your business, go ahead, personally I find them no challenge but I guess a weakling like you has to get his thrills somehow," Vegeta leant forward ever so slightly, "but bear in mind if I am your target then I am likely to slip through your fingers in the meantime."

Was Vegeta actually taunting this thing? Bulma wondered furiously.

He continued to lounge against the window. "Perhaps go off searching for more of your family," Vegeta let the threat hang there a moment as he shifted his gaze deliberately skyward before adding meaningfully. "I'm sure you wouldn't want that."

"Your bluff doesn't hold wait with me prince. My brother and I were the last of our line."

"Is that so?" Vegeta's tone revealed disinterest. "Well in that case I would suggest that you forget about avenging his death and avert your own. Don't get me wrong, my conscience would not be bothered by wiping your family line from the cosmos, I consider Kwee's death a service to it, in fact."

Dwee growled. "Trying to bait me into blasting you and letting her go Vegeta?" Dwee tightened his grip. "Not a chance. You've got it wrong. I don't intend to _avenge_ my brother, nothing so futile. What I intend is to have _revenge_ for the death of Kwee. I'm no fool. I understand how powerful you are. I'd have no hope in killing you."

Bulma thought she detected a slight clenching of Vegeta's jaw but otherwise he remained silent, seemingly waiting for the creature to get to the point.

Dwee did not shift as he spoke. "I have watched you for weeks planning and plotting my revenge and finally last night I saw a much better way to make you suffer. Oh yes much better."

Bulma looked at Vegeta to see if she could determine what Dwee meant. What could have happened last night but Vegeta seemed to have only straightened slightly and just as suddenly smirked as if unfazed by the creature's threat.

"Ha," Vegeta scoffed. "There is nothing a weak warrior like yourself could do to me to make me suffer."

"I think there is," Dwee grabbed Bulma's neck and squeezed it tightly.

Bulma yelped at the pressure though Dwee's nails did not yet pierce her skin.

"I can kill her." Dwee added.

Bulma watched as Vegeta slowly folded his arms across himself. It was such a familiar action that usually indicated his indifference, sometimes displeasure and yet Bulma fleetingly got a sense that he was literally holding himself together. It was a fanciful notion that she quickly dismissed when Vegeta responded in a near bored tone.

"Let me ask you something Dwee. What is it you expect me to do once you've killed the woman? You expect me to let you go?"

"Oh no," Dwee sneered. "I expect you to kill me but I will still have my revenge."

Bulma felt her heart race but remained silent and still.

Vegeta too was silent for an extraordinarily long moment. "I have to admit it is a clever plan, perfect except for one thing."

"What is that?" Dwee was unconcerned.

Vegeta laughed. "If I had any feelings for her don't you think I should have tried to kill you by now? Or freed the woman?"

"You haven't because you don't dare risk it." The fish creature's confidence was frightening. Bulma had an increasing sense of doom. If Vegeta was bluffing this creature wasn't buying it and if Vegeta wasn't this creature was determined to kill her.

"One tiny movement is all it will take to pierce her throat." The creature confirmed her fears.

"Nonsense," Vegeta asserted coolly. "You underestimate me. I could pound you into pulp before you laid your hands on her." His tone was imperious, "the only reason I have not is I find her terror amusing and your attempt at revenge so sad it is laughable." To prove his point, he grinned.

Bulma felt her heart sink. Vegeta as good as admitted that he could save her if he wanted to but hadn't. "You jerk!" she said fighting back the tears. What an inopportune time to discover ultimately that he didn't care.

Vegeta laughed and if it seemed brittle Bulma did not notice.

"I don't think you'll find my revenge laughable at all." Dwee's tone was furious at Vegeta's mockery. "Not at all." The creature then seemed to reign himself in. His demeanour changed as he leant his head towards Bulma and breathed into her ear, "though I suppose if you really don't care, I could just amuse myself with her death."

Bulma shuddered and wondered if she shouldn't beg Vegeta to please help her anyway, remind him that without her he'd have to rely on her Father for repairs to the gravitron, that her Father wouldn't be happy about her death, perhaps even tell him that he would never reach Super Saiyan without it.

"Your game Dwee," Vegeta said flatly, "is wearing thin on my patience. I have better things to do with my time. It's too bad about the woman, she was useful but oh well since it's the only way to end this I'll just have to blast you both."

"No Vegeta please!" Bulma pleaded but he had already raised his hand and in almost the same instant she saw the energy forming and heard the sound of the explosion beside her.

Dwee did not flinch nor loosen his grip but stood his ground with his victim. Bulma opened her eyes, one then another and shifted her gaze as carefully as she could. She saw what was an insignificantly small piece of damage to the wall beside her. With an unhappy combination of cold dread and amazed joy she realised that Vegeta could not have missed them accidentally and that such a weak shot could only have been through deliberate and careful control. He had a plan. Vegeta would save her, she thought firmly but surely Dwee must realise this too.

"You have failed Vegeta." Dwee said triumphantly. "And you've sealed her fate by revealing your weakness. You'd almost convinced me up until now. Remember that. It is entirely your fault that she will die."

"It was a warning shot Dwee."

Bulma noted the irritation in Vegeta's voice. He was not as calm as he appeared and that really did frighten her.

Dwee laughed. "Though it is such a pity to kill such a lovely thing," Dwee slid his hand down Bulma's arm suggestively.

"Do that again Dwee," Vegeta's voice was dark and close. Bulma realised that he had joined them on the floor and his fists were now clenched, "and I promise that I will teach you the true meaning of revenge."

Bulma stopped trembling and snapped her head up to stare at Vegeta, she had never heard such a tone from him. His eyes flicked towards her and she could have sworn she saw concern and she was certain she saw anger.

Dwee laughed, "Oh but I do know it and so will you. Nothing you do can stop it. You can't prevent me, I told you that." He laughed, removed his hand from Bulma's throat and ran it down Bulma's other arm in a deliberate taunt.

Bulma felt first Dwee's slimy skin then a sharp pang in her arm as his fingers clutched at her and at the same time she heard a sickening crack. Dwee slumped to the floor his head lying at an unnatural angle. Bulma stared at it a moment.

"Should have done that earlier," Vegeta said looking down alongside her. "Must be getting soft from all this earth air."

"Vegeta!" Bulma flung herself into his arms. "You saved me!"

Vegeta stood stiffly, unyielding to her embrace and after a moment he spoke. "I had a score to settle, that is all."

Bulma stepped back from him and searched his face for the concern she knew that he had displayed. "But I thought you –"

His expression had become hard and unreadable. "I suggest you stop such ridiculous thoughts before I regret saving you."

Bulma felt her heart plummet for a moment before she honed in on the one causing her pain. He need not be so certain of what she had thought. "Well you didn't do a very good job anyway," she said with a huff. "My delicate skin has been lacerated by that creep's nails and my arm is bleeding." Bulma pouted with forced drama and turned her arm to display the wound but she was puzzled to see a green ooze had surrounded it. "Eww," she said horrified and comforted only in that the wound did not hurt or appear serious.

Vegeta's manner changed the instant he saw the green ooze. The stiff and unrelenting stance changed to one of intensity as he took hold of her arm examining it and his face paled and his brows quavered. He let go, went to Dwee's body and picked up one of his hands, turning it over he extended the fingers on it and surveyed Dwee's nails before lifting his eyes to Bulma.

The look he gave her frightened her.

"Vegeta?" Bulma said her alarm increasing. "What is it? Tell me!"

He stood without responding, staring at her solemnly, unblinkingly. "Bulma, I . . ." his words seemed to fail him.

Suddenly Bulma felt her pulses begin to beat irregularly, she doubled over groaning and found the she had fallen against Vegeta. She was dimly aware that he was lowering her to the ground. Every nerve in her body seemed to burn and cool in turn as if they were stuck in a pattern of supernova implosion. Time was indeterminate as the agony wracked her body but when finally, the cycle ended in an all-encompassing feeling of freezing cold, Bulma discovered that Vegeta still held her and that mere moments had passed.

He remained silent, still not offering an explanation of what was happening to her, she began to realise he was incapable of uttering the words but he no longer needed to tell her. She could see it in his face but more than that she could feel it. She was dying.

She should have been frightened she supposed or upset, maybe angry but as she witnessed the pain on Vegeta's face the only emotion she felt was for him; a desperate need to ease his suffering. Whatever he had said previously, whatever he had denied it was obvious now that he did care in some way and that her imminent death was hurting him. There was a chance he didn't have to feel that way. She had to console him, remind him. Tell him where the Dragonball radar was but she didn't have the strength and she could feel her eyes becoming heavier, her lips leaden. Only one person knew where she hid the radar. "Yamcha," she said.

Vegeta looked stricken, then furious and stood turning to go. Her body slumped ungraciously the remaining distance to the ground.

If Bulma had contained the strength to form more coherent thoughts she would have been both touched by his jealousy and furious over the mistimed moment that he chose to display it but Bulma had focused her energy upon a last ditch effort to make him understand. "No!" Bulma used the last of her strength to grab his leg before he could leave. "Radar."

* * *

Vegeta stared down at Bulma's lifeless body as her hands slipped from his leg. He felt numb, too many emotions had erupted at once suddenly causing this vacuum. Bulma had said Yamcha. Her final moment and she called for that idiot. It didn't matter anyway. She was dead.

Moments ago, alive, now dead.

It was his fault. Dwee had scratched her with some kind of poison on his nails. Vegeta had foolishly toyed with him while Bulma was in his clutches. Foolish, he reiterated to himself. A fool. His face transformed from self-loathing to deference as he realised he'd had no choice, he had to goad Dwee, had to bait him into fighting back or blocking his attack, anything to remove his fingers from Bulma's neck but it hadn't stopped him. Nothing would have, not once Dwee had Bulma already.

Dwee was prepared to die for his revenge and he had got it. Vegeta returned to admonishing himself, if only he had checked on her when he first thought to instead of dismissing his instincts as desire. If only he hadn't been duped by the gwizoo. It was unbelievable gullibility, inexcusable for a seasoned warrior. He had no business believing he could attain the legendary status of super saiyan with such a failing. Not when he had allowed this to happen.

"Bulma!" Shrieked Panchy Briefs before she descended into a crumple of tears over her daughter's body.

Vegeta stepped back. He did not know when she had arrived or from where and apparently Dr. Briefs was there too.

"What happened?" Dr. Briefs spoke aloud though he did not seem to need an answer as he surveyed Dwee and Bulma's body. "Poison?"

Vegeta nodded. "He came for me. I. . .I couldn't save her. My fault." He added involuntarily and wondered if that strained sound had been his own voice.

Dr Briefs clasped his hand on his shoulder and shook his head sadly. "I'm sure not my boy. It looks like there was nothing you could do."

Vegeta didn't know if there was anything he could have done, anyway he could have stopped this but there was nothing he could do now. Death was final. Final unless you were one of those bizarre friends of hers who . . . were wished back!

He tore from Dr. Briefs clasp out the window and into the sky. How could he have forgotten? How could he have not understood Bulma's last words? How could he have wasted so much time?

"Where is that weakling?" Vegeta muttered. "He sure hung around long enough before." Vegeta tried to sense the human's ki. "There." Now all he had to do was convince the idiot to find the dragon radar and the dragon balls, convincing, which Vegeta had no doubt was going to waste even more time.

* * *

Authors note: I hope you are enjoying it so far, more to come - in the meantime please review or favourite and check out my other DBZ stories. Thankyou.


	3. Chapter 3 - Guilt

A/N Thankyou to all those who reviewed and to those following. Also my apologies for the lack of scene break lines in the last two chapters - I use three asterixes in my offline work and completely forgot that Fanfiction auto removes those symbols. I'll be fixing them up shortly. Blessings and enjoy this chapter.

 _For the sake of Bulma – by Milui Elenath_

 **Chapter Three - Guilt**

"Dead? You killed her?" Yamcha cried in outrage.

"Of course not!" Vegeta snapped, irritated more with the situation than the accusation.

"I bet you did just so we will call the dragon and then you'll jump in with your wish of immortality!"

Vegeta grabbed the idiot by his shirt and shook him. "I did not kill the woman but she is dead. Bulma is dead! I could kill you! But if I kill you and you don't tell me where to find this dragon radar she's going to stay dead. Is that what you want?"

Yamcha's feet dangled and he shook his head. "No, I don't but I don't need to tell _you_ where the dragon radar is in order to revive Bulma. I can find the dragon balls myself and do it without you!" Yamcha pulled at his neckline.

The weakling was right, Vegeta realised. Yamcha could find the dragon balls on his own and revive Bulma and why not let him? There was no need to involve himself with Bulma's revival, it was only important that she was revived.

"Fine. Do it." Vegeta relented letting him go.

Yamcha dusted himself off but was obviously surprised at the easy concession. "I will!" He said but he didn't move.

"Now!" Vegeta shouted.

Yamcha jumped. "Alright! That is if she's even actually dead. I'm going to know if you lied you know." He mumbled. "I'm going to Capsule Corp first to make sure."

Vegeta resisted the urge to blast the idiot for his insolence, reminding himself that he needed him alive for now.

Yamcha finally took to the air. Vegeta followed behind until he saw the buildings of Capsule Corp coming into view upon the horizon. He felt a stab of sorrow that seemed highly illogical. The woman was coming back but somehow this did not alleviate his distress. What if the weakling failed to find the dragon balls? What if the dragon refused? What if someone else used them before they got there? It wasn't like it hadn't happened to him before. . . all of those things.

Yamcha sailed down and into the grounds of Capsule Corp. "I'm going inside to make sure your story checks out."

"It will." Vegeta couldn't muster the fury that he felt he ought to have at being called a liar and his tone had a note of resignation.

Yamcha observed it and shot him an almost thoughtful look that Vegeta also let slide as he watched Yamcha enter the house.

Vegeta didn't want to go back in there. He puzzled over his erratic behaviour. He'd lost his own family, his planet, his entire race and he'd felt many things but he'd never been affected this way. It was true he had not actually witnessed the death of those he cared about and he'd been so young with his own survival on the line to occupy him for years afterward that perhaps it had blunted the emotion. Still, he had witnessed other deaths, far more brutal deaths at the hands of others, at his own hand and none of them had affected him in this way either.

Witnessing Bulma's death, a mere earth woman with whom he shared a mild infatuation, should not haunt him as it did. It definitely should not make him want to avoid place and memory.

He shut his eyes against replaying the event again and failed, understanding in retrospect the look she'd given him, the one that seemed so full of emotion when she said Yamcha. The look had not been her longing for Yamcha's presence as he first thought but for him! Even in death she had not blamed him, even in death she had tried to ease his sorrows. Vegeta felt wretched. So, this was guilt.

He saw that Yamcha had returned from the house looking forlorn. "Who was the guy? The guy that killed her? And why?"

Vegeta shifted his stance uneasily trying to focus on the present. "Dwee was his name. I killed his brother on Namek and he was after revenge. The woman . . ." Vegeta folded his arms. "got in the way."

"Surely you could have tried to save her?" Yamcha was astounded and annoyed.

"I did try you idiot!" Vegeta growled. "Don't you think I would have tried if I could? Do you think I wanted her involved? I tried to get that worm to let her go, he— . . . didn't believe me."

"Didn't believe what?" Yamcha asked.

Vegeta clenched his jaw. What the hell was wrong with him? He'd just babbled away about Dwee and now he had to somehow answer the weakling. He ran the back of his hand to and for across his forehead and sighed and closed his eyes in resignation. "That I didn't care about her."

"You're saying he killed Bulma to get at you?" Yamcha was disgusted.

"Yes." Vegeta admitted unhappily.

"Well that's just stupid. I guess he didn't know you very well." Yamcha snorted but he gave Vegeta a sidelong glance.

"I guess not." Vegeta looked away. "Look why don't you get the facts later, after you've revived Bulma!"

Yamcha was thoughtful. "Uh yeah. I guess maybe I should get some help gathering the –"

"No! Nobody else gets involved." Vegeta cut him off firmly.

Yamcha's eyes opened wide. "What? Why? It'll go a lot faster and what's it to you anyway?"

Vegeta didn't know. What did it matter if Yamcha got help? It would go faster with Baldy or even Kakarot's help but first the questions would start, when and what and why she had died and before long they'd all know it was his fault and then Kakarot would say something to try to make it seem okay, try to make him feel better about it and damn it! It was not okay and he did not want to feel better about it! He stared at Yamcha, he could think of no answer to give except the truth and he wasn't going to admit that to anyone.

The silence lengthened and became awkward.

Yamcha broke it first. "Look, I'm not stupid Vegeta. I know you're stronger than me and that you could beat me up and take the radar to gather the dragon balls yourself so I'm not even going to go get the locator till I have some back up."

"Fine, get your back up. I don't care! Just revive the woman!" Vegeta had lost his patience entirely and turned away. Maybe now the idiot would go instead of wasting time but Yamcha remained.

"Listen Vegeta," Yamcha began hesitantly, "are you okay? You seem, I don't know, upset."

Vegeta's eyes opened wide and his face contorted to one of incredulity. "Your stupidity surpasses even Kakarot's. Of course, I am upset!" Yamcha's stating of the obvious was the final straw. Vegeta felt himself beginning to totally lose it and rather than powering up he found himself continuing to blather. "I just witnessed Bulma die a horrible death with nothing I could do about it and it was entirely my fault that she died at all and to top it off," Vegeta paused, "I got angry at her when she was dying and almost left her to die alone."

Yamcha frowned disapprovingly at the last statement.

Vegeta was glad because if that weakling had offered him sympathy or understanding he really was going to lose his mind. Perhaps that is why he had told the weakling because he would not so easily overlook it as Bulma did, as Kakarot would.

Yamcha studied Vegeta a moment and then pulled what appeared to be the dragon radar from his pocket. "The nearest dragon ball is this way."

Vegeta looked at him with surprise. Not only did he have the dragon locator already but it seemed as if he was inviting him along after all.

"Since it's your fault and all I guess you better help me." Yamcha said by way of explanation.

Vegeta sagged. Even this earthling was willing to absolve him. Why the hell couldn't they hate him? It was insanity, maybe he'd already lost his mind in his quest for super saiyan.

Yamcha still waited for answer and Vegeta nodded a silent concession before they took to the skies.

* * *

Yamcha glanced back at the dark Saiyan. He really did look awful. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes he would not have believed it. Bulma had always said that when Vegeta first arrived on earth after Namek he had this sort of haunted look. Yamcha had told her that was ridiculous he'd certainly never seen anything but a cold-hearted killer but Yamcha thought he saw something of that haunted look now and Bulma was right. It was disturbing.

Yamcha could not believe his thoughts or his actions, was he actually feeling sorry for Vegeta? And taking him along to find the dragon balls was that smart? Could he really trust that Vegeta was doing this for Bulma's sake? It actually looked like he cared about her. It was insane!

Yamcha tried to think what Goku would do but visions of Vegeta attempting to kill Goku and screaming Kakarot flashed through his mind.

Perhaps it was best not to attempt _anything_ that Goku would do when in the presence of Vegeta.

But that left him without any idea on how to handle this. He guessed he should just collect the dragon balls, keep his eyes open and at the first sign of trouble take off towards Goku. Yamcha couldn't explain to himself why he hadn't insisted on getting the others involved already but if he needed to he would.

The dragon radar blipped faster. "I think it is down there." Yamcha shouted.

The two of them circled down towards a forest so thick that when they entered the canopy it was dark. Yamcha looked down at the dragon radar, barely able to make out the glowing symbols that told them which direction to travel.

The blip was north of their location and Yamcha started toward it. The leaves and sticks crunched beneath his feet but Vegeta was almost soundless. Yamcha might have thought it a Saiyan thing but the same could not be said of Goku; any treks through the woods with Goku were full of sounds, not the least being cheer. . . obviously that was also not a Saiyan trait.

"So, I guess this is your first time gathering dragon balls," Yamcha said conversationally. He hated awkward silence.

"No." Vegeta said tersely.

"It isn't? Oh, right Namek," Yamcha remembered with a grimace, "But on earth, this is your first time."

"No. Nappa thwarted my first attempt."

Vegeta was expressionless but Yamcha gulped nervously. What was he thinking bringing that up? Nappa killing Piccolo wasn't something Yamcha wanted to talk about and Vegeta clearly didn't want to either. Yamcha suddenly wondered what other topics he should avoid.

Saiberman, yeah, no good could come of going there. Anything to do with Goku - he'd covered that. Freeza was a given, so maybe Namek hadn't been a wise subject either. Yamcha didn't like to think what Vegeta thought of baseball, some things were too sacred to tempt with fate. Maybe awkward silence had its merits after all.

Thankfully the dragon radar began to blip more earnestly and Yamcha followed it to the base of a tree. "Looks like it's in the tree."

"Just sitting around in a tree?" Vegeta was amazed.

"Yeah, it's not like on Nam— er, it's different on earth." Yamcha corrected. "We don't keep the dragon balls in villages or guard them . . ." Yamcha began to reconsider if he should be revealing this to Vegeta. "Some of them we do, yeah and Goku usually has one." Yamcha mentally facepalmed, no Goku talk he reminded himself.

"Kakarot keeps a dragon ball?" Vegeta seemed surprised rather than annoyed.

"Well he did but er I don't know if after what happened with Gohan he still does." Yamcha hoped he was still on safe ground.

"Radditz." Vegeta nodded slowly, perhaps remembering. "How do we find this one?"

"This what?"

"Dragon ball!" Vegeta growled.

"Oh," another nervous laugh escaped Yamcha's throat, "we just look. I guess."

"Have you done this before?" Vegeta suddenly asked.

"Of course, I have." Yamcha said. "The dragon radar says it's here so we look." Yamcha indicated the general area.

Vegeta was astoundingly compliant nodding his head a single time.

Yamcha glided up into the tree and in spite of the pervading darkness found the dragon ball almost at once. It shimmered a faint orange light, slightly illuminating a bird and the nest they were both settled in. "I found it." He called down.

"Well get it then."

"Right," Yamcha went to reach under the tiny bird and quickly retracted his arm as it pecked at him. "Hey," he cried. He tried again from a different angle but the bird pecked defensively.

"What's the hold up?" Vegeta called from below.

"There's a bird in the way." Yamcha called back.

"I can see that." Vegeta had joined Yamcha in the air. Vegeta looked from Yamcha to the miniature bird and his expression was clearly unimpressed.

"It was pecking me." Yamcha explained feebly.

Vegeta lifted his hand slightly towards the bird.

The poor creature's life was a goner if Yamcha didn't do something. "Wait let me try something else!" Yamcha moved to the side this time. "I'll just – no wait – almost – no." Yamcha tried again and again until the scene looked like a fast-paced game of whack a mole, with Yamcha the mole.

"Out of my way you idiot." Vegeta snapped raising his hand again.

"You can't kill it!" Yamcha protested.

"I have no intention of doing so." Vegeta gave Yamcha a patronising glare as a blast left his hand and shot through the canopy above them. A shaft of sunlight came bursting through alighting upon the nest. The little bird blinked dazzled and blinded by the sudden sun and before Yamcha could comprehend what had happened Vegeta handed him the dragon ball.

Yamcha stared dumbfounded at it for a moment. Then back at Vegeta who was scowling at him. "I'll, er, see where the next dragon ball is, shall I?" Yamcha pulled out the locator.

Vegeta had directed his attention to the tiny bird. "What is it with creatures mistaking the dragon balls for eggs?" He mused.

"What do you mean?" Yamcha said offhandedly.

"I remember Bulma mentioning several occasions when she obtained dragon balls from creatures, she was particularly fond of repeating her encounter on Namek with the giant crab."

"Yeah, she blew it up or something didn't she?" Yamcha rolled his eyes. "I remember her carrying on about her brilliant shooting."

Vegeta shook his head. "She saved its eggs from being crushed. Then used the eggs to lure Freeza's henchmen to their deaths at the hands of the giant crab."

"Bulma did that?" Yamcha said astounded.

"You were present on several occasions of her story telling. You don't listen to her. No wonder she dumped you."

There was a hint of a sneer and flicker in Vegeta's eyes of arrogance as he spoke but it promptly died out as his sentence ended and was replaced by something Yamcha could only describe as regret. It halted the retort that Yamcha was about to give. He'd never seen the prince looking remorseful about anything. Yamcha was certain it wasn't directed at him but he couldn't imagine what had caused the feeling in the saiyan. He was still puzzling when Vegeta folded his arms.

"So where is the next blasted ball?" Vegeta demanded.

"Ah, about five hours north west."

* * *

The city below Vegeta was blurred as he sped over it, hundreds of buildings and streets blending into one indistinguishable mass of grey, white and green. The people in it didn't even register in his vision, too insignificant amongst their own constructions.

Ordinarily Vegeta gave little thought to the lives of others, wondered very little about their activities or their emotions. He had learnt during his years of servitude, to the tyrant Freeza, never to dwell too deeply upon what others had, and certainly never to covet it. Whatever they might have, be it wealth, family, status or anything else, all of it could be taken away in a single blast. Today, however, Vegeta suddenly found himself pondering the lives below.

Pitiful human creatures going about their lives unaware of the torment and destruction planned for them by the androids, some of them blissfully ignorant that death would ever touch their lives, completely oblivious to its shockingly fast theft.

Yet he, Vegeta, elite saiyan warrior had lived in deaths shadow, seen it, dealt it and yes even experienced it himself. It should not shock him, he should be used to it. He was used to it!

Why then did he find himself reacting as pitifully as the humans below to Bulma's death? Had he merely thought himself beyond deaths sting? Did losing everything - his family, his people, his planet, his freedom - make so little impact in his emotional defences that as soon as he had something as small as an infatuation with an alien woman he became deaths pawn?

No! He would not stand for such weakness. He would make sure that this time was the final time death took him by surprise.

"I think it's just below us," Yamcha called breaking Vegeta from his thoughts.

"Good." Vegeta responded as Yamcha turned and descended to a lower altitude.

"This? Vegeta looked at the monotonous landscape of cornfields that stretched below him. "There is a dragon ball down there?"

"That's what the radar says." Yamcha replied. "Hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to spot." Yamcha said touching down.

Vegeta's boots were silent as they contacted the soil. He could see nothing but an endless row of plants. Not a single creature buzzed among the heads of corn, nor crawled upon the ground, no rogue plant life survived in the shade of the militant and uniform stalks. It struck Vegeta that this was a place of death and the corn stalks were the keepers of it. They were allied with death, swaying their heads at him, the breeze full of their mocking laughter. He stepped past Yamcha and in one fell motion set the field on fire with a single blast from his outstretched hand.

Yamcha leapt to the air coughing. "What the hell is wrong with you? The dragon ball is down there!"

"And it still will be." Vegeta said plainly, watching the fire consume the sentinels of death with detachment. What _was_ wrong with him? Did he think the destruction of some paltry vegetation was somehow going to get at death, like it was a person?

The ferocity of the fire continued to burn at an ever-expanding rate but below them the ground was blackened ash that occasionally stirred from its position and took to the air like a spirit ascending to the clouds.

Vegeta stared at the destruction, grimly realising the dark irony of his actions, in reality he had done nothing more than bring more death to the landscape. That was what he did, wasn't it? Brought death? Hadn't that always been the case?

Vegeta hung there staring at the ground, fists clenched.

Yamcha watched unnoticed by Vegeta. Just what was Vegeta thinking pulling a stunt like that? And now what was he doing, Yamcha wondered. Was he just staring at the ground? Did Vegeta think the dragon ball was just going to materialis- ha what do you know.

Another puff of wind shifted the ash revealing the glimmering orb of the six-star dragon ball. "Well I guess that's one way to look." Yamcha gave a strained laugh.

Vegeta remained immobile.

"I see the dragon ball," Yamcha pointed out when he didn't get a response.

"What?" Vegeta blinked.

"The dragon ball," Yamcha gestured.

Vegeta's attention visibly shifted. "Well get it then!" he growled.

Yamcha quashed the urge to shake his head and instead retrieved the dragon ball without response. He pulled the locator from his pocket and analysed the screen. "Listen Vegeta, you can't just keep on destroying things you know. I mean, I know you can, but you shouldn't." Yamcha tried to think of a convincing argument that would appeal to Vegeta. "Bulma wouldn't like it." He added weakly.

"No. She would not."

There was something unusual in the way Vegeta said it. It meant something more but what it was Yamcha didn't know. "So, we're agreed, no more destruction?"

"Destruction is my cohort." Vegeta said bleakly.

"Ominous," said Yamcha, "but maybe you two could part company for a little while,"

"That is highly unlikely." Vegeta's tone remained bleak but Yamcha put it down to indifference.

"Look Vegeta, I'm going to have to involve the others if I can't trust you to at least try."

"I will not blast anymore of your ridiculous planet if that's what your worried about!" Vegeta snapped.

The sudden burst of anger surprised Yamcha. "Good, good. Okay." He nodded trying to mollify the prince. "We just got another dragon ball, I thought you'd be happy?"

"Happy? There are five more to go. We've spent hours getting to these. I can only deduce that it will take us another day, perhaps several to finally gather them all and when we do supposing that the dragon does in fact grant our wish, Bulma will be revived for what – another year or two before the androids come and kill us all? If by some miracle she avoids that future what happens when another henchman bent on ill-advised revenge turns up, or a car accident, a lab mishap, a careless step. She has no more wishes left. This is it now."

Yamcha gasped as a sudden realisation hit him.

"Stop staring at me," Vegeta warned.

Yamcha didn't want to believe it and he certainly didn't want to say it but the words came bubbling out in astonishment. "You've got a thing for Bulma!"

Vegeta folded his arms. "Don't be absurd."

"That's why you're here helping." Yamcha was convinced now more than ever. "It's why you didn't want the others involved. It's why you're so upset."

"I'm not upset! Vegeta shouted, then lowering and steadying his voice, he repeated himself calmly. "I'm not upset. If I feel something, it is inconvenienced."

Yamcha eyed him speculatively. "Right. You know it's okay to admit –

"If you wish to continue living a full life you will discontinue this preposterous line of thinking."

Yamcha nodded and stared down at the dragoball locator. It was unbelievable. Vegeta having feelings for Bulma. Sure, Bulma was attractive and all but Vegeta? An unsettling thought came over Yamcha. Vegeta was unstable at the best of times and now it was clear that Bulma's death was affecting him. Yamcha began to wonder how Vegeta might handle things if they ran into an obstacle in finding the dragonballs, or worse, someone who didn't want to give it over readily? Yamcha could only hope that things would not get out of hand, that Bulma's name would stay the prince from doing anything too objectionable, it was possible right? Vegeta would be able to control himself for Bulma's sake, wouldn't he?


End file.
